


Project PEACE: Fate of the Outcasts

by KastaNik



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Altered how the Barsen'thor works, Cults, Fusion of Star Wars Legends and Disney Canon, Multi, Old Republic Era, Will have dark moments, Will update tags as time goes on, a literal journey of self discovery, characters created from an MMO game, ragtag band of misfits uncover a conspiracy, run of the mill adventure story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-09-08 03:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20291677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KastaNik/pseuds/KastaNik
Summary: When a rogue Sith on a quest for power receives a vague premonition of his defeat at the hands of five unlikely champions, led by a mysterious Jedi known as the Barsen'thor, he and his cult of Sith set out to challenge the throes of fate. They will stop at nothing to wipe out this threat.When an aspiring mechanic with a mysterious past learns the secrets of a Jedi artifact she carried with her from birth, her boring life comes to a halt when a catastrophic event leaves her home in ruins. Teaming up with strangers with different goals, their thrilling journey leads them to uncover a bizarre conspiracy that could destroy even the Force itself if they're not quick to intervene.As their fates intertwine, will this group succeed in the race against time to save the galaxy, or will the might of the Sith cult finally dodge their fate and snuff out their light?- - - - -Featuring the characters I've created in Star Wars: The Old Republic. More details at swtor-project-peace on Tumblr and silly animatics @kastanik on TikTok.





	1. Legends and Premonitions

**Author's Note:**

> \- {EDIT Oct. 7, 2019} As I write Chapter 2, I decided to go back and rewrite the Prologue. Not only to change the paragraph style but to fix any mistakes and to better explain the story where I couldn't the first time. I'll edit Chapter 1 soon, don't worry.
> 
> \- {EDIT Dec. 29, 2019} I decided to give the story a more proper and exciting name and made the description sound more polished and interesting for new readers. On more important matters, I'm currently moving houses and I won't be without the internet for a short while. I'm still writing the rough draft to Chapter 3 however and visiting my local coffee house did help me out of a part I was stuck on. It sounds cheesy, but it worked. With more chapters to come, edits on previous chapters will follow.

#  _ **Prologue:** _

#  _ **Legends and Premonitions** _

* * *

This tale began a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Many millennia before the daring exploits of the Chosen One and his tragic descent into the Dark Side of the Force, and centuries after the dangerous escapades of Darth Revan and the Exile that shaped the galaxy and changed the lives around them forever. Far back when the Galactic Republic and the Empire were separate entities fighting for control of the galaxy.

This tale began with a single man and his treacherous quest for power and total eradication of the Jedi, the Champions of the Light. Unlike Revan, the Exile, and the Chosen One, who all touched the Light and the Dark, this man was born, raised, and lived for many centuries as a Champion of the Dark, claiming the title of the Lord of the Sith as a blood right. This Sith Lord reigned victorious in many battles, conquered many planets in the Emperor's name, and shed the blood of many Jedi that was unfortunate to stand in his way. However deadly he may be, the Sith was also an influential figure among the Sith Empire, training many acolytes until they, too, earned the title of Darth, even earning himself a place among the Dark Council.

One day, while on a mission to win the favour of the people from the newfound planet of Voss, his unyielding curiosity sought guidance from the planet’s Mystics, as he discovered were powerful in the Force for their healing and the accuracy in the visions they received. Sensing great darkness in the Sith Lord, the Mystics he sought; a husband and wife, were at first reluctant to share their wisdom with the outsider. But he proved what they thought were noble deeds to them, and thus they granted him a vague vision that would serve as a warning if he continued down his dark path.

_ Five young individuals of humble beginnings would rise to testify the Sith Lord, but the one among them with the title of Barsen’thor would put an end to his path of evil once and for all._

Horrified and disgusted by the premonition they shared, the Sith Lord had denied by proclaiming he was too powerful for anyone, let alone five commoners, to destroy him or his ambitions. In their vain efforts to calm him down and explain themselves, the husband and wife revealed that even a Sith Lord cannot fight against fate and destiny, as it was the Force that decides the fate of all.

Seeing no point in arguing with them further, the Sith Lord stormed out in anger, proclaiming that he will find whatever it takes to change the course of fate and he will start by killing the problem at its source.

After that fateful day, as day and night had come and gone, his actions carried a heavyweight on their shoulders as they felt nothing but pain and suffering, a burden that eventually took the life of the Voss husband and leaving his beloved wife alone and afraid.

The Sith Lord returned to the Voss wife a year later, this time filled with murderous pride. He boasted on how he uprooted and wiped out any Jedi Colonies he could find, how he enslaved many people in his exploits. Bragging how he found and killed any potential candidate for the role of the Barsen’thor and freed himself of the chains of fate.

However, he was only met with the horrified look on the Voss wife’s face, and for the first time in his life, the Sith Lord himself felt horrified. Keeping whatever composure the Voss Mystic had left, she explained to him carefully that his actions were only sealing his fate, and warned him of a danger that now lied ahead of him for when he returned to his home planet of Korriban.

When he finally returned home to Korriban and entered the chamber of the Dark Council, he felt an unfamiliar chill in his bones as he looked up to the scorned expressions and stiff postures of his fellow Councilmen. Some voiced their concerns, starting with his premonition and how much of a danger he had become to the Empire. Others accused him of plotting to overthrow the Emperor and warned him of the deadly consequences.

Confused and betrayed, the Sith Lord ignited his lightsaber and unleashed his fury on the Councilmen, striking one, then two Sith down. The rest of the members joined in the mad dance, not to kill the Sith Lord knowing his prowess, but to wear him down knowing his weaknesses as well. Several strikes of lightning and a strike to destroy his lightsaber were all it took to weaken him. The Sith Lord mocked the Councilmen for their cowardice in leaving him alive and swore that if the war with the Jedi did not consume them first, he would take pleasure in destroying them all.

And so he left. But to his surprise, the Sith acolytes that remained loyal to him had followed him into the dark abyss that was his exile. Thus, the Brotherhood of the Abyssal Flame was born.

As the years passed, this Sith Lord and his followers would double their efforts to reclaim their former glory and stay true to their cause. To destroy the Republic and the Empire alike, and strike down the mysterious five, the ever-elusive Barsen’thor, and anyone that dared to oppose him.

** _To be continued..._ **


	2. Hearts of the Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The introduction of most of the main characters as they try to live out their lives in an orbital space station safe haven known to refugees and smugglers as the Colony Ark.
> 
> Little do these individuals know that every little decision they make would bring them together to do great things for the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> {EDIT Oct. 13, 2019} I've been doing some edits of this chapter, changing it so it would flow better and make sense, kind of like what I was doing with the Prologue. I finished the rough draft of Chapter 2 in my notebook last night and it reached 15 pages! I'm rewriting the chapter onto my computer and it will be here soon, just needed to fix Chapter 1 above all else. Stay tuned!

#  **Chapter One:**

#  ** Hearts of the Machine **

* * *

_17 years later..._

  


_Colony Ark Orbital Station, Felucia System._

  


~~~~~

  


_ **Begin Holorecording.** _

  


“...Is this thing on? Ugh, really?! I can't do my video while this thing refuses to obey it's Master! Mmm...Gotcha!” a Twi'lek girl exclaimed after fiddling with her camera until it was in the right position and settings, then stepped towards a workbench where her work sat and stared at the camera. “Okay...uh...Hello! My name is Pennio'lai, but friends and clients call me Penni. Don't ask me why! They told me themselves it was a lot easier to pronounce than Pennio'lai. Ugh...this isn't gonna work!”

_ Keep it together, just get to the point, Penni! _

“Okay, anyway! I am a freelancer in mechanics, I have been fixing ships and orbital stations ever since learned how to walk. I do some inventing on the side as a hobby, as you can see here.” she said as she held a rusty old Imperial model mini probe droid in her arms and placed it on the workbench before her. “See this probe droid? LE series! This was a personal project I've been working on for a while now. Err...don't mind the rust, I'm still working on polishing it and giving it a nice coat of paint. Believe it or not, this probe droid was only an empty shell of its former self when I found it floating about space!”

She rotated the small droid to present to the camera.

“Everything inside was just gone when I found it as if this thing was robbed and thrown away like trash!” Penni explained as she took the camera in one hand and a flashlight in the other as she opened the hatch to look at the inside of the droid. “See all those gears and wires and everything else placed in here? This was almost five years of blood, sweat, tears, and tough love put into this baby so far! Sure, they may be scrap metal, but they make good organ donors. One person's trash is another person's treasure. Soon as I activate the probe's start-up sequence-”  


_ **BOOM!**_  


Penni slipped and fell back as the whole workroom began to shake like a sudden ground-quake, causing her to lose her grip on her camera and it hit the wall before making its impact onto the floor.  


_ **BAM!**_  


Another rumble, stronger than the last, made her tools fly off the shelves and nearly hit her as she rolled under her workbench.

“Penni, darlin'!” A Hutt's voice suddenly came through the intercom. The Twi'lek smacked her hand against her forehead in annoyance, “If you're gonna ask if I'm doing okay. My stuff flew off and could've given me a bruise or a concussion. But yeah, I'm fine!”

“Well, that and we have a meteor shower that is headed straight for the Ark! That no-good Gamorrean abandoned his post and couldn't be bothered to put the shields up!” the Hutt informed as the girl looked around to check if it was safe to come out.

“How many and how big?” “I was just informed the last two were just as big as baby rancors and the next dozens are gonna be just as big as a Krayt Dragon's eye! Could you be a dear and make sure the meteors didn't hit anythin' keepin' this place floatin' and do some patchin' while you're at it?”

“Nunkooga, are you gonna send help this time or are you sending me on another suicide job?” “Penni, Penni, Penni! Of course, I'm sendin' help, darlin'! I'm sendin' someone to turn on the shields so the rest of the meteorites don't hit you while you work. I have to focus on calmin' down the paranoid. Now get to it!”

Penni sighed in disappointment as she reached for the camera she dropped and examined every angle of the device for damages, realizing that the impact from the wall and the floor only left a small scratch on the screen and a dent on the lens to her surprise.

To her relief, the camera was still recording. “Sorry 'bout that, duty calls! We'll do Take-Two after I get this thing done. Be right back!”

_ ****End Holorecording.****_  


“PENNI!!!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Alright, I'm going! Geez, you gotta stop getting your tail in a twist! Lemme grab my suit and my bag and I'll be there faster than a convor on hunting season!” “Don't you dare give me that attitude, young lady! This is my life's work on the line here! I'm countin' on you to make your claim a reality, dear! Just hurry! Nunkooga out!”

Penni rolled her eyes as she threw herself onto her feet to leave her camera in a nearby plasteel container, swiped the satchel with some of her important tools already packed from one of the drawers of her desk and made a break for the door. She entered the living area and leapt over the couches and chairs that were in the way, making her way out the estate and into the corridors of the Ark.

In her path was a large crowd of people who were riled up from the chaos of the meteors had blocked most of the way for her and it made it difficult for her to squeeze through despite her small form. She made a mistake of attempting to squeeze through two Gamorreans, “Hello? Code Mynock! I need to get through here! Sirs? Ow! Sirs! Ugh...”

_ _ Live in space, Pops said. It's much safer up here than it is on the surface, he said. _ _  


~~~~~

An XS Stock Light starship had docked safely in one of the hangers of the Ark before it got caught in what its owner had named the “meteorite crossfire.” The owner let out a long whistle of relief as he sat back in his chair with his first mate, M4-A2, by his side.

Maybe it wasn't the adventures he had where he dodged large ice clusters in the Salucami system or the asteroid belt in the Bothawui system, but the rush for the need to get to the Ark before the inevitable happened was all the adrenaline he needed for today. The little adventure had already worn out his tired bones. Since he arrived at a safe haven, he could use a moment of tranquillity for once.

So it wouldn't hurt the great Nunkooga the Hutt if the young Captain had a power nap for a while.  


_ **Knock! Knock! Knock!**_  


The loud banging on his ship's door stirred him from his seat.

He could tell the individual at his doorstep had a lot of weight in their muscles just by how hard his fist was banging on the door. “Emfor, keep an eye on the ship, will you buddy?” The Captain ordered as the astromech chirped happily.

“Oi, whoeva's in there, don't think we didn't see yew loitering in the hanga! No, we don't give two piles of bantha crap if its yer ship. Rules are rules!” he rudely explained as he waited for the Captain to answer the door. “Uh-huh, and who's we?” the Captain opened his door and walked down the steps past the Nikto as the latter's sudden look of dismay never left the former's. The Captain stopped to glance back at the Nikto in concern, “Why the long face, man?”

“Y-yer Captain Aeron Windsinger!” The alien stuttered as he pointed a finger at the Human, staring at him as if he had seen a ghost.  


“Hmm...deep down I was hoping someone would recognize me.”

The Nikto took a moment to find his words as he walked beside Aeron. “Well ye...its just...last we heard, yew was supposed to be on Imp death row.” Aeron shook his head as his fingers rest on the bridge of his nose. “Look, whatever was said about me in some biased report was probably a bribe and a load of bantha dung. I never owned a sniper rifle in my life, it's an insult to the family name. Ma and I prefer the lightweight guns to really set off some fireworks.” Aeron pulled out his guns to demonstrate his quick draw skills and to present them to the Nikto.

“Is dere more?” The intrigued Nikto insisted.

“Besides, if you know me and took the time to read the report on the crime, you would know that it was too carefully planned out for it to be me. I mean, what part of their soul did they break to resort to murdering old matriarchs and thought that it was okay? At this point, I'm pretty sure them pinning the blame on me just _ really _goes to show how the Empire goes out of their way to humiliate the poor kids.” The young man sighed as he put his back in his holsters.

“But hey, the past is in the past and everything's settled down for the most part. An old friend busted me out of Dromund Kaas, then we went our separate ways. I spent the last couple weeks trying to shake off the cops. All that tomfoolery has left me tom tuckered out if you know what I'm saying!”  


Just as they entered the main corridors, Aeron had suddenly felt a heavy force knock him back towards the floor and looked up to find a green Twi'lek sitting on top of him, struggling to quickly stuff her tools back into her satchel. “Ugh, I'm so sorry about that! Traffic's been crazy! Just when I got past the worst of the crowd, I crash into-”

The girl's face suddenly lit up when she looked down at the man below her, the first things she recognized were his Navy blue eyes and the implant that covered one-third of his forehead. “Oh my gosh! Aeron?! Is that really you?” she asked as she got herself onto her feet and took Aeron's mechanical hand and pulled him up. “I don't know, I could be a clone! Bah! Just kidding! Long-time no see, Penni!” Aeron beamed as the two did their signature handshake.

Penni glanced over to the confused Nikto, “Oh hi, Rufus! How're the kids?”  


“Err...lovely, Ms. Penni! I'll let yew two catch up, it would be rude of me ta barge in on yer reunion. Want me ta book yew a room, Captain?” “Nah, I'll take care of it. Probably ain't gonna be here for too long. Appreciate the offer, though!” “Now yew two stay outta trouble, eh? If I didn't warn yew now, dere'll be Hell ta pay.” Rufus warned when he turned to take his leave.

The two were silent as they watched the Nikto walk away, and Aeron shifted his attention towards the Twi'lek to start the conversation.

“So, how's your Dad doin'?” Aeron asked when Penni gave him a grim look, which was unexpected to see. “Not too good, but he's recovering! He lost his sight during a work accident three months ago. Nunkooga felt ashamed for once and offered a simpler job to him, but Pops would rather keep the Mercenary job because it would hurt his pride otherwise.” Penni frowned as she explained her life situation. “Hate to be a stick in the mud, but your Dad really needs to settle down and recuperate before he tries to carry on his job like that again!”  


“I mean, I see your concern and you're not wrong! I spent the first couple of weeks helping him get to the cafeteria and back. Soon he started to use his sense of smell to get to places faster and suddenly he was back on duty! He still kinda uses a cane and the other Mercs don't trust him with a blaster at the moment, but progress is progress!”

After hearing Penni's explanation, Aeron began to ponder.  


_ Is he healing his eyes like how he can heal his limbs? Is it a miracle? Either way, how'd he do it?_  


“Hey, uh...speaking of jobs, did you see the severity of the damage on the Ark on your way here?” The Twi'lek's voice had snapped the Captain out of his deep thoughts and immediately shook his head as his answer. “Beats me, I was rushing to get inside as fast as I could. I wasn't about to let _ Lady Cosmos _take the heat for me. Not even cosmic nature could take down my baby girl.” Penni groaned as she gave an annoyed smile.  


_ _ Corellians and their strange relationships with...ships.__  


Aeron crossed his arms when he realized what she was going to ask of him. “So, what's the hurry, freckles? Nunkooga sending you on a job?”

“Yup.” “No help whatsoever?”

“He thought that sending someone to activate the shields was enough.”

“You're kidding, right? Need a hand?” “I don't know, do you want to help?”

“Explain what's in it for me and I'll gladly help out.” “Drinks are on me! But first, how do you feel about spacewalking?”  


~~~~~

Another day brought another challenge, a Chiss boy told himself as he wrapped bandages around his bloody knuckles. He had finished an intense workout routine to keep himself in shape and on his toes at all times. The boy pulled a tank top over his small form, tied his hair back into a small bun and took his belongings with him to the washrooms.

He took a small rag from his bag and soaked it under the running water to wash the dirt and sweat off his face, only to look up to find two figures in the mirror minus himself. The figures in the mirror were that of a Besalisk and an Abyssin, and the boy would be naive to believe they had followed him with even an ounce of good intention.

“Is there a problem, fellas?” he questioned as he slowly placed down the washrag.  


“So you must be Char'lee N'Dever, the son of the famed N'Dever clan! Right here in the flesh.” the Abyssin hissed in excitement as he turned to his partner. “Yeah, you've got nerve coming over to our side of the Ark, kid.” the Besalisk added. Char'lee clutched harder on the washrag to keep himself from immediately lashing out at these freaks, hopefully, to give them a chance to back off peacefully before it was too late.

“Are you done?” the Chiss asked again, this time with a harsher tone in his voice.

The two laughed hysterically. “You think that playing dumb would keep you safe from that huge bounty on your head? Your face is all over the Holonet for Mandalore's sake!” “Yes, and since we've caught you with your pants down, we aim to collect! Now turn around and look at us, you little heathen!”  


Just as the Abyssin nearly grabbed him by the shoulder, the boy quickly turned around and took the alien by surprise by wrapping his wet washrag around his wrist, pulling the creep towards him to slam his knee into his stomach. He threw the man at the Besalisk who was none the wiser and made a break for the exit, not caring if he left his belongings behind.

Unfortunately for Char'lee, the Besalisk recovered from the attack quickly and grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him towards them, wrapping his four arms around him to prevent him from slipping away from the duo's grasp. The more the Chiss thrashed around in the alien's iron-grip, the harder he squeezed until he heard a bone or two pop. As the boy screamed for his life, he heard blaster fire hit the wall between them and the Abyssin and forced their attention to an individual standing at the exit.

This newcomer was a male Cathar and seemed like a regular citizen, aside from the eye patch covering his right eye. But Char'lee knew better to assume his status as he studied the man's blaster cannon to find the Galactic Republic insignia etched on the side. The shine on the insignia looked like it dimmed over the years.  


_ What's a Pub doing here?_  


“Put the kid down and we can all walk out of here peacefully and without any more blood being shed.” the Cathar gave a warning specifically to the bounty hunters assaulting the boy.

“There are no observers here! You either beat it or we'll beat you!” “Yeah, beat it, fat man! We're being paid to bring this brat in!” the Besalisk joined in.  


_ Oh, if that isn't the Jawa calling the Ewok short!_  


The man stayed surprisingly calm despite the hypocritical insult being thrown at him and it was unsettling to the young Chiss. Instead, he just rubbed his broad chin, “Good to know.” He aimed and fired at one of the lights shining over them, causing the room to grow darker. This gave Char'lee a perfect opportunity to slip his way out of the dazed Besalisk's arms and resumed the fight by attacking the Abyssin.

“Ugh! Why you little-” Before the massive bounty hunter could get close to Char'lee, the Cathar placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “What's wrong? Afraid to pick on someone your _ own _size?”

“Hey, wait a minute! I can expla-”  


_ ** POW!**_  


It was already too late as the Cathar was quick to clench his fist and throw a punch at the Besalisk's face and stood aside as he watched him collapse to the floor. “Word of advice, if you're gonna insult somebody, look real hard in the mirror first!”

Meanwhile, the Abyssin pulled a blade to aim for Char'lee's eyes, but the boy kicked the blade out of the bounty hunter's hand and watched as it flew across the room. Before the Abyssin could react, the Cathar pulled an ascension gun from his belt and shot at him, watching in shock as the liquid-metal cables painfully wrapped itself around the bounty hunter and fell to his knees. He pulled him towards where he tied up the bounty hunter's partner and pressed a button on his comlink to relay a message as soon as he was done tying them together.  


“Security, we got a double bogey in the recreation room's washrooms. The upstarts are an Abyssin and a Besalisk duo. They were harassing and assaulting a kid.” A female voice on the other end of the comlink let out a loud sigh of disappointment, perhaps knowing what had happened was not the first time. “I recognize them as Irvus and Querto, this is the third week in a row that they've caused discomfort to the customers in that area. Never mind, just give us a few and I'll dispatch a team to pick them up! Keep an eye on those two until the team arrives!”

As the message came to a halt, the Cathar turned his attention to the confused young Chiss. “Are you alright, son? The medical bay is just down the hall from the recreation if you're injured.”

“Err...I'm fine, just really confused.” “About what?” the Cathar questioned as he rubbed his broad chin in curiosity.

“Look, I don't mean to be intrusive, but I saw the insignia on your cannon. What's the Republic doing out here? Why did you save me?”  


The Cathar sighed.

“Yeah, why save him? The worm put a bullet through his own father's skull!” The Besalisk named Querto let out a retort, only to be met with a kick to the stomach from the Cathar. “First of all, quit digging your nose into someone else's problems. Secondly, read the damn report with your eyes and make your own decisions instead of playing shaak and going off of rumours.”

Char'lee glanced at the captive bounty hunters and turned his gaze back at the mysterious Cathar with a confused look in his blood-red eyes, “Hold on, I get that you know who I am. But I wanna know who you are and why you decided to help me?”

“Cath! Sergeant Everett Cath was my call sign until my departure from the Republic Army. But really, I helped because I stayed true to my previous duties to help the defenceless.”

Char'lee jerked an eyebrow upwards in denial, “Oh right, and you're not gonna tell me that you want something from me in return. Forget it, pal! I've tried to clear my name in the past, only to be met with silence. I just want to live out the rest of my lonely life in peace.” Char'lee eyed the man in suspicion before he turned to the sink to wash the blood off his face.

“You know what? Maybe I do.” Everett admitted as he folded his arms.

“What a shock...” The boy rolled his eyes with sarcasm.  


“Look, kid, before I left the army I've looked into this case while on a mission to visit some pals of mine in the SIS.”

“So that's...uh...Strategic...something...”

“You're close, its Strategic Information Service! Anyway, we came back with clues and evidence that suggest the claim of you being responsible for your father's murder is entirely false.” Everett explained when Char'lee turned his attention back to him with interest.

“Shocker, I sort of knew that a long time ago, but cyclops and four arms here didn't seem to get the message!” Char'lee said as he blew his nose into the washrag and tossed it onto the Abyssin, who reacted in disgust. “Not gonna lie, I'm curious to know what my “family” had to say about it. We never took kindly to the Pubs or the Imps showing up on our turf and for years we intended to keep it that way.”

“Well, after a few interviews, a few accident demos and a closer look at whatever forensic evidence we could find, it turns out your family needs all the help they can get. Not long after the murder occurred and you were sent away, your mother suddenly disappeared without a trace.”

Char'lee rose an eyebrow, “What's that supposed to mean?”  


Just before Everett could answer, four Mercenaries entered the room, three of them carried blasters while one tightly held a cane in hand. “We're the dispatch you called for, we'll take it from here. Nice handiwork by the way!” a Twi'lek complimented as he helped a Weequay lift Querto off the ground and carried him out of the room. A Nautolan that threw Irvus over his shoulder gave a quick salute, “Keep fighting the good fight, citizens!”

As they watched the Mercenaries leave with the bounty hunters, the Trandoshan was the last of the team to leave the room when he tripped over his cane. Everett quickly caught the Trandoshan with his free arm before the latter could hit the floor. “Whoa, are you alright, sir?” The ex-soldier asked in concern as he pulled the man onto his feet, only to glance at his grey, soulless looking eyes in wonder.

“Yes, thank you! Scorekeeper thanks you! Eyes betray me each day.” The Trandoshan mercenary explained himself in slightly broken Basic as he pointed to one of his eyes. Everett nodded in agreement, “You and me both. The hardest part was realizing I couldn't use it anymore.”

Char'lee watched the two converse with caution as he pulled on his vest and done up the straps.  


_ Oh, brother..._  


“Call me Spike, Eye Son.”

“Right...I'm Everett Cath. Where are you headed off to, Spike?”

“Nearly lunchtime! Must go before the line's crowded.” Spike told as he walked towards the exit, only with his steps more careful than before.  


Everett peered behind the wall to watch the Trandoshan walk down the hall by himself.

“Hey! Do you need help getting to the cafeteria by any chance, Spike?” the Cathar questioned as Spike stopped and turned back to answer.

“No thank you, I go where nose takes me! Mmm...Macaroni and Cheese...Goodbye, Eye Son!” Spike replied with a blissful look as he continued his path. Everett stood in silence as he began to rub his chin in curiosity.

“_ Wow, didn't think you were such a goody-two-shoes until now, Sergeant. _ ” the Chiss chuckled when the older man turned to him. “That's _ ex _-Sergeant to you! Look, you wanna continue discussing this thing on the way to lunch?” Everett asked as he jerked his thumb towards the direction of the exit.

“Sure? But you still haven't told me what you wanted outta this.” Char'lee told as he grabbed his belongings and stuffed them inside his bag, and proceeded to follow Everett out of the room.

“How 'bout the quickest way to the cafeteria?” The Cathar requested when the Chiss rolled his eyes as he walked ahead of him. “Follow me...”

~~~~~

“I can't believe I'm going through with this!” Aeron panicked as Penni, already inside her enviro-suit, helped him zip up his suit. “Sorry man, but its the Hutt's orders! I can't see why you would be having this problem, you drive ships!” Penni complained as she placed a helmet over his head and screwed it in until it was secure.

“Maybe, but I was born and raised on Corellia! You lived in space your entire life! I drive ships and you fix them! Huge difference!” “Exactly! Just follow my lead and nothing will happen to ya. There!” Penni insisted as she punched in a code to open a shaft that hid the space speeder bike.

“Yeah, my helmet totally won't fly off at the worst time nor will I fly into the abyss of hyperspace.” “Relax, flyboy! I screwed in both of our helmets as instructed. We also have jet-packs that can act as our safety nets, and since we're working on the haul of the Ark, our boots can magnetically attach themselves so we won't float away. It'll be fun!” She says as she gently lowered the speeder onto the grubby durasteel floor and turned the keys to start its motor.

“You know what? If we live through this, you owe me a bottle of whisky!”  


“Which is _ literally _what we agreed on earlier, but okay.” Penni rolled her eyes as she sat at the driver's end of the speeder and gave the seat behind her a few inviting pats, “Hop on!”

Aeron reluctantly sat behind the Twi'lek and placed his hands on her hips, which in other circumstances would have been a cute attempt at a romantic gesture if her job didn't come first. “Shoulders, Aeron! Don't put your hands anywhere else but my shoulders! You'll be more secure that way.”

The boy yelped in embarrassment as he quickly placed his hands on the girl's shoulders, “Why'd I agree to this?” “Just take deep breaths, hold on, and whatever you do, don't look down!” Penni told as she pushed a button with her foot to initiate a safety countdown.  


_ **10...9...8...7...**_  


They both look up to listen to an automated voice ring out the countdown, “I mean it when I say hold on! Soon as that airlock opens, we'll shoot right out like how rancors spit out the bones of their dinner.” The Captain tried to imagine the two experiences to make comparisons and suddenly winced in disgust at the imagery and Twi'lek's grim description, “Ugh, that's gross!”

Aeron heard a noise from behind and turned his head to witness the door they came in had sealed them in the filthy room, “Well then, I guess there's no turning back now. Wishing I took up on that Nikto's offer earlier.”  


_ **6...5...4...**_  


The airlock pushed open slightly when they felt themselves being pulled, not yet drastically but gradually, which was the only thing Aeron appreciated. “You know what? I'm starting to believe you when you said this was a suicide job.” Aeron complained as he crossed his arms in disappointment.

“You thought I was joking? It would be nice for Nunkooga to send more people on my way, but what are the chances? At least I got you! No guts, no glory!” Penni threw her hands up in acceptance and quickly clutched the handles of her speeder to prepare for the inevitable.  


_ **3...2...1!** _

“Hang on!” The Twi'lek warned as the airlock had slid open completely until the two could feel the vacuums of space become so powerful, it catapulted them out of the airlock and into the throes of a sea of stars. Of course, Aeron screamed for dear life, but Penni knew better to pull the breaks on her speeder before the gravity took their ride to an unnecessarily chaotic turn.

Gravity was indeed their worst enemy as Penni's satchel unlatched itself from her shoulder and some of her tools slipped out of its leather confines.

“Whoa! My stuff!” the worried Twi'lek leapt out of her seat to fly after her satchel and tools. Aeron reacted by reaching up to grab onto her ankle, “Oh for the love of...! Penni, forget the stuff! I'll buy you more stuff when my paycheck comes in!”

“Hey, dingus! How will I do my job if I don't have the stuff to do my job with? It's like me telling you to ditch your ship!” Penni asked as she reached up to catch her satchel. “You make a good point and I hate it! But just so you know, it ain't worth it being with you!” The Captain argued as Penni finished collecting her tools and proceeded to shove them back into the bag where they belong.  


“Well guess what? I don't give a damn! You agreed to come along! Now help me down!” The girl demanded as Aeron did as he was told and pulled her down to her seat.

As most of the abrupt chaos had come to a peaceful conclusion, Aeron turned to notice a bright, fiery orange light from afar while Penni was busy fixing the straps on her satchel to prevent her tools from flying away again. He tapped Penni's shoulder to get her attention and pointed to the direction of the orange light.

“Hey, is that the meteor shower you told me about?” Aeron questioned as he squinted his eyes. “No, there would've been more than one meteor to be a shower. I think that might be a...” Penni paused as she dug into her satchel to pull out her macro-binoculars to study the mysterious light better.

The light was revealed to be fire and smoke emitting from a small ship and in the passenger's seat was an unconscious pilot, but Penni could somehow feel the pilot was still alive. “Aeron, I think that might be starfighter!” Penni claimed as she pulled the binoculars away to shove it back into her bag while Aeron was taken back by her claim.

“You're serious? The possibility of a starfighter in our orbit during a meteor shower is a thousand to one!” The Captain retorted when they heard a loud whirring noise increase its volume as the ship flew closer and closer to them at a rapid speed.  


_ The two widened their eyes in shock as they came to a sudden realization that the starfighter was not only en route to the Ark, but they were _ _ _ directly _ _ _ in its path. “...And that would be the one...” Aeron admitted defeat as Penni quickly slammed her foot on the speeder's acceleration pedal without warning in an attempt to move out of the way before the damaged starfighter could collide with them. _

They successfully dodged the incoming starfighter at the nick of time, only to discover that the pressure caused by its speed abruptly shot them forward and spun the two out of control once again.

“UGH!!! Aeron!” Penni shouted as she tried to reach for the speeder's handles, only for the terrified boy behind her to make it difficult with him wrapping his arms around her for comfort. “Not now, not now! I told you to put your hands on my shoulders!” Penni scolded as Aeron grabbed hold of her shoulders so she could finally reach the handles and hit the brakes on her speeder to hopefully grind their chaos to a halt.

As she did so successfully, she watched the starfighter slow down as it entered one of the hangers, which was strange to her as she remembered that the pilot seemed to be unconscious the whole time.

_ How strange..._  


She turned her attention to Aeron, still recovering from the wild experience, “Are you okay?” “...This was the kind of crazy hoo haa I was worried about!” Aeron cried out when the offended Twi'lek was taken aback. “Hey, I didn't plan for that weird starfighter to crash in on a good time!” Penni barked as she crossed her arms.

“Good time?! Penni, how do you not realize how vulnerable you are when you go spacewalking? We are much safer inside a ship than we are floating out here!”

The girl let out a stressed sigh as she turned around to face Aeron.

“Look, I'm sorry for all of this. I didn't mean to push your fear this far. If it's okay, I can take you back to the Ark to recover. I won't judge you any less whether you say yes or no.” She gave Aeron time to breathe and relax before he made a decision.  


As much as he was terrified, Aeron had to pull himself together and not embarrass himself in front of his close friend. His mind went back to his mother and what she would think of him if she were sitting here at this very moment.

Would she laugh at him and belittle him?

Would she be just as forgiving as Penni was?

A million options were running through his head, but he had to remain an optimist, for Penni's sake. He smiled when he finally made his decision, “...No, I came out here to help out a friend, and that's what I'm gonna do. A Windsinger never backs out of a deal, ya know? You still owe me a drink though.” Penni nodded at his decision when she turned back to drive towards the area of their objective. She did not hesitate to slow down to get a view of the planet below just to admire its beauty, and deep down, she wished that she could visit it for just one day.

**To be continued...**


	3. A Planet Passing By...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious Jedi has crashed landed into the Colony Ark and must find a way to get back to her mission. What role she would play in the heroes' stories is left to be decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit October 31, 2019: Fixed up the story a little and I am partially angry with myself. Try writing your stories in Comic Sans. That is all and Happy Halloween!

#  _ **Chapter Two:** _

#  _ **A Planet Passing By...** _

* * *

** **Begin Playback...** **

_ “Holo Entry 2039, Jedi Knight Erelah Lux reporting! My mission to shake off the Sith invasion over Jabiim has led to a catastrophic living nightmare! They have reigned their forces down upon us without warning and mercy. _

_ We were able to identify the Sith commander as the Kaleesh Sith Lord, Darth Tykei. He cut through our forces just as he cuts down the unfortunate with his lightsaber. All that remains now is a battlefield nearly devoid of living Republic persons. _

_ Master Teilo surrendered himself to the Sith as part of his ploy to create a diversion while I escape into hyperspace. More importantly, escape to Republic space and warn the Order of what had become of us out here. I hope that Master Teilo is making the right call here. Whoever Darth Tykei is, I have to haul jets and stop for nothing and I highly doubt he would show mercy for long. _

_ May the Force be with you, Master!” _

** **Next Playback...** **

“_Holo Entry 2040, Jedi Knight Erelah Lux reporting, I made it out of lightspeed! Unfortunately, due to the severity of the situation in the Jabiim system, I quickly punched in a random set of coordinates my astromech droid could throw at me in a state of panic. A reminder that my strengths lie in lightsaber and melee combat, not starfighters. _

_ Now, I've rambled on for long enough, back to what was important. Where have I taken us, I wonder? The Nava Computer states that I may be in the Outer Rim world of Felucia, the bright jade light radiating from the planet and her many moons to confirm it. _

_ Holy smokes, that could've meant one thing! _

_ If my memory wasn't shot, I was just a few parsecs away from entering the Esstran Sector! In other words, the doorstep of Sith space! This was a death trap if I ever kissed one! _

_ That last jump really did a number on the ship's fuel, so unless if the Force is willing to work with me today and guide me to some nearby sanctuary, I have to land somewhere on the planet where I won't raise any alarms. _

_ Wait! I see a lone orbital station on my three, but what's it doing all the way out here? There seems to be no Republic nor Empire forces out here, but what lies on the inside is what really concerns me. But there was no time to theorize! I need fuel for my ship and I have to get out of here before the Sith realize something's amiss. _

_ Sadly, going in blind is probably the best option. I just hope that whoever's in charge of this station doesn't shoot me on sight!” _

** _ THUD! _ **

“_Whoa! I hope I didn't speak too soon! Eytoo, engage evasive maneuvers now!” _

** _ BAM! _ **

_“REEEEeee...”_

“_Eytoo! Oh for the love of...that came from my nine! That wasn't turret blast, it's a meteorite! I think I just flew in the middle of a meteor shower! I have to hold my breath and prepare for an emergency landing while my ship can still take these meteorites. If anything were to happen to me as I brace for impact, may tHe FoRcE gUi-” _

** **Playback error – attempting to recover...** **

~~~~~

After what felt like forever, the loud ringing in her ears had vanished and the wild Gaussian blur that was her vision had cleared. Erelah studied her surroundings to find herself still seated in the cockpit of her ship. She discovered two things as she sat up; the windshield that protected her from the vacuums of space had shattered to pieces, and she gained a massive headache from the crash.

_ Thank the Force I'm alive... _

“Hey! You alright in there? Oy! Someone's in the cockpit! Requesting permission to pull them out?” the voice of what seemed to be a male Mon Calamari called out to his peers on his right. Erelah could feel the sweat run down her temple from underneath her helmet.

Or was it sweat?

“Who are you requesting permission from, Evinrude? Me or your common sense?! The ship's on fire and we need to put it out! So yes, get them the kark out of there!” a female Rattataki barked as the Mon Calamari scurried to find footing sturdy enough to do what he needed to do. Erelah looked to her left to witness the orange hue shine through whatever was left of the doomed starfighter's dusty window.

“Hey you!” the Mon Calamari called out to the Jedi through the broken windshield when she looked up at him. “Okay good, I'm glad you're not dead! I was starting to fear the worst when you weren't responding. You don't look like someone who wants to be cremated, do ya?”

“Uhh...sorry...I was a little dazed, that's all.” Erelah proclaimed as Evinrude pushed open the starfighter's hatch and held out his hand to help her out, only to catch a quick glimpse of the Jedi climbing out of the cockpit herself.

Perhaps she was too eager to get out for her to see his hand.

They were both quick on their feet as they worked their way off the starfighter before the cockpit imploded. The two made their way towards the Rattataki and her team as they made themselves busy putting the fire out.

“Hate to break it to you, kid, your ship's trashed beyond repair. It's a miracle you even survived the crash.” Evinrude informed, but the girl was too busy working to undo the straps of the helmet she wore. Met with silence, he glanced over to the dented Jedi Order insignia printed on the side of her helmet in blue.

“Oh, that explains a lot! You're a Jedi! We don't get a lot of those folks around here, they're always in a hurry and they never take the time to relax.” the Mon Calamari explained when he turned back to the Jedi as she pulled the helmet off her head.

“I don't blame them, the wicked never rest,” Erelah replied as she held the helmet against her hip while she used a free hand to fix up her hair. What took Evinrude by surprise was the colour of the young Jedi's hair, which was mysteriously stained with blood on her left. The Rattataki threw a weak punch to his arm to snap him out of his daze.

“Er...yeah! That would do it, huh? But hear me out, I've encountered plenty of Jedi in my day, but I've never seen a Jedi as young as you, but have white hair! This may sound like TMI, but are you an Albino?”

Before the Mon Calamari could continue with his hyper-curious questions, he glanced back at her annoyed expression. Then she cleared her throat, “Okay, well...I'm fine with the questions to an extent. It's a common misconception between a Human who is born into a body that doesn't produce the usual amount of melanin, and someone who is an Echani.”

Erelah's short lesson has left Evinrude speechless and made his Rattataki friend snicker, “Ha, you got schooled! Hey kid, up to-”

She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the blood run down the Jedi's left temple, “Geez! Evinrude, hold this! Don't freak out, lemme grab a medpac and some kolto!” the woman tossed the hose to her friend as she ran to the nearby medical bay. Erelah lifted her fingers to feel around her forehead to find the source of the blood and winced when she tapped her left temple. She gasped when she saw her blood staining the tips of her gloves.

“So that's why I have a migraine...”

“That's what sucks about blood. It's like a nexu on the prowl, you'll never when it starts running until it's too late.” Evinrude compared when he looked over to the Rattataki woman returning from the medical bay with a medpac and a bottle of kolto in one hand and dragging a chair behind her with the other. Just as vertigo began to hit, the woman slid the chair underneath the Jedi as she fell back.

“First time on a starfighter, kid?” the woman asked as she placed down the medical supplies beside them on a small stool. Erelah was quiet for a moment to think of something to preserve her bravado, but after experiencing Evinrude's hyper-curiosity, seeing how badly damaged her ship was and how aware this woman was, there was nothing she could do to hide her damage.

“...In a way, yes ma'am...” the Jedi answered. “You don't need to address me as “ma'am,” _Master Jedi_. I'm Zabi, Zabi Jak.” the Rattataki introduced herself as she pulled a bobby pin from her wrist.

“Jokes on you, I'm not a Master. I was Knighted not too long ago.” Erelah corrected as she felt Zabi push away the strands of hair that concealed the wound and slipped in the bobby pin to hold the hair in place. Zabi let out a frustrated sigh, “As much as that sounds like a “you” problem, that would explain your amateurish landing. Now hold still, I think I've found something.”

With nimble fingers and a pair of tweezers, Zabi pulled a tiny object from Erelah's temple with care, only being met with a small hiss from her patient. The woman observed the object for a brief moment before placing it down on the stool and continuing with the procedure. “Man, you're lucky you didn't pull that out too soon! You would've had a river of blood pouring outta you, and seeing where the wound is, you're probably suffering from a killer headache right now.”

“I'm not worried, I was taught to withstand pain early in my training. You'd be surprised!” Erelah admitted as Zabi dabbed a cotton ball on the wound to clean off the blood and dirt. She dipped a few small drops of kolto onto a cloth and pressed it against the wound, followed by another hiss from the Echani, and finally sealed the cloth in place with medical tape. “Okay done! Don't take that off until the wound is sealed. For now, lemme book you a room.”

“Wait, where am I? May I talk to your boss?” Erelah questioned as she shot out of her seat and nearly fell forward. She quickly grabbed onto a nearby column to keep herself steady as her head cleared up and her skull didn't feel like it was a broken egg balancing the yolk to keep it from leaking. 

“Wow, gravity works here!” Erelah noted.

“Calm your jets, Jedi! You're on the Colony Ark and Nunkooga is a bit iffy around your kind. I can take a message though.” Zabi replied as she packed up her medical supplies. The Echani turned to the woman, “Well whoever this Nunkooga person is. If it makes them feel any better, I have to leave immediately. Confidential Jedi business, but its an emergency!”

“I'm sorry, but your ship's toast and the only ships Nunkooga has is for the passengers if the Ark ever goes belly up. Patching up your wound is as much help you're getting outta me, but in this case, you're kinda on your own.” Zabi warned as she folded her arms and jerked her thumb towards the direction of the entrance corridor. The young Jedi shook her head with worry, but she proceeded to the corridor regardless, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Hey, Jedi!” Evinrude called out to the girl when she looked over her shoulder at him, “If you're hungry, the cafeteria's one floor above us!”

“Thank you, I'll keep that in mind!” Erelah waved as she started down her current path once again. She felt calm knowing she didn't sense a single ounce of deception from either of them and despite how little they know about the Force, they would prove to be more helpful than she originally anticipated.

~~~~~

“So the quickest way to the cafeteria is up the lift then?” Everett questioned as he examined the elevator's doors as they waited for their ride to arrive. Char'lee only shrugged, “It should be, I always go up this way after my workouts.”

“Is it or is it not? The lineup is pretty vicious around lunchtime and the last thing we need are broken limbs.” the irked Cathar started as he turned with his arms crossed while the Chiss reached up to press a button on the panel. 

“It's pretty fast for me, don't know about you though.” Char'lee admitted as they waited for the elevator to arrive, and waited for the underhanded joke to sink in.

** _ DING! _ **

“Oh come on, N'Dever! That's not even clever and I'm disappointed in you.” Everett scolded as the Chiss struggled to suppress a sheepish grin as they walked into the empty elevator. “Sorry I offended you and all. But if you wanna stick with me, then you have to put up with some of my garbage, you hear?” Char'lee challenged as he turned to stare at the glass windows that gave them a clear view of Felucia and its surroundings.

Everett took a deep breath before explaining himself, “Listen, I'm not the type who goes, 'How dare you joke about these things?' It's more like, 'Is that all? You can do better than that!' Why? Because in my point of view, there are worse things out in the galaxy I could get offended over, like slavery!”

Char'lee reached up to press a button on the panel to the floor where he knew the cafeteria was on as he breathed in, “My Dad told me a story of how he beat up slave driver on Nar Shaddaa. The guy was an Anomid that would rather talk to Droids than people.”

“What do you mean by 'was?' Did he kill him?” the curious Cathar interrupted when the young Chiss looked up with a frown. “Hell no, he just caught the guy with his pants down, tied him up and left him at the cop's doorstep. Yeah, that alone didn't end slavery in general. But hearing my Dad's story did restore my faith in the galaxy.”

Just then, Everett turned away from the boy and looked out the window at the planet in his view with newfound guilt as questions about his case ran through his mind. 

It was obvious that the boy missed his father, but he wondered why would one murder someone they've always looked up to? Why cast out a boy so young? Where did his mother go?

Where did _she _go?

“So that's Felucia, huh? Come here often, Ever?” Char'lee asked, not knowing his question made the ex-sergeant snap back to reality.

“Uh...yes! My team and I had to track down and destroy an Imperial listening post there. We were always on the move because if a sudden blaster shot between the eyes didn't get to you first, the flora and fauna will.” Everett recounted when the boy glared at him with a look of disbelief. “The fauna I understand, but the flora? You seriously had to look out for plants?”

“Major McJimmi was just as skeptical as you are and where is he now? His mouth, ears, his everything melted down into a pile of goo from a poison spitter attack.”

Char'lee grimaced at the horrifying image, “Yikes, seriously?”

“Yup, and a Sarlacc pit too. On the bright side, the locals grew fruits that can be made into a shake, and lemme tell you it was the best-tasting fruit shake I've ever had.”

“That's nice, but what was the Sarlacc like? Was it like the one on Tatooine?”

“Almost, this one's more active and the tendrils are longer.”

To match Everett's description, Char'lee squatted down and started waving his arms in the air like noodles as he did his Sarlacc impression, getting a half-suppressed laugh out of the Cathar as the elevator slowed its ascendance and came to a gentle stop on what seemed to be the next floor.

The doors opened to reveal a female Twi'lek and a male Human with cybernetic implants staring at the two in a state of confusion. During the awkward period of silence, Char'lee felt his blue face burn red with embarrassment as he quickly stood up and hid behind Everett to escape their gaze, specifically the Human's as he was someone he recognized.

“Char'lee? Is that you?” the Human called out as the Chiss dug his face into the palm of his hands. “Aeron...” Char'lee uttered.

The Twi'lek rose a hand to speak, “Hey, were you trying to catch a fly in here or were you doing a Sarlacc dance just now? I can do that too!” She hopped into a squat and waved her arms in the air while Aeron followed her in. Seeing the awkward looks on everyone's faces, she stood up straight and frowned.

“Going up, little lady?” Everett asked when the Twi'lek gave a pitiful nod and watched as he reached to press a button to close the doors behind them and continue their way up.

Aeron moved to a spot where Char'lee tried to hide himself to no avail, “Hey man, I was wondering where you went. It's been forever since we last hung out.” The girl shifted her attention to the two boys in confusion, “I have a sinking feeling I'm out of the loop on this, so excuse me if I end up acting like a shyrack with a box over its head. You guys know each other?!”

The Captain did not utter a single word at first as he suddenly pulled the Twi'lek over to Char'lee and stood her up straight so she was face-to-face with the Chiss. “Penni, meet Char'lee N'Dever, a friend of the family. Char'lee, meet Penni, a friend who is a scrub.” He was met with a flustered looked from Char'lee and a frown from Penni.

Then, Char'lee slipped away from the duo as he shook his head in denial, “Okay look, the reason why that crap happened was that _his_ Mom and _my _ Dad had a _thing _going on.” 

The Chiss looked over to find Everett placing his hands on his hips in amusement. 

“If it makes you feel any better, that was long before we were born. I heard about what happened to your Dad and I'm sorry for your loss. I also heard you were searching for his killer, how goes the search?” Aeron queried when the younger male pointed at the Cathar. “Glad you brought that up, I was just about to ask him. Ever told me that my Mom disappeared after my father's murder, either she was kidnapped or...”

“A suspect...” Everett suddenly interrupted when the three turned their full attention to him in shock. Penni's eyes shifted to Char'lee and she swore felt something resonating from the boy. She couldn't explain it, but she somehow knew it was her queue to back away from him before the inevitable happened.

The Chiss's expression suddenly switched from shock to anger and finally switched to denial, “Now you're trying to freak me out, man...On what motive? They've considered each other to be equals.”

The older male sighed in frustration, “That's what boggled the boys back in the SIS. We're trying to place the pieces of the puzzle together and we're stuck. Motive or not, who would suddenly vanish if they put their complete faith in their family? That's why we need to find her, Char'lee.” Just then, Aeron wrapped his arm around the irritated Chiss's shoulders, “Well bud, welcome to the Missing Mothers Club.”

Penni turned to Everett and glanced at the blaster cannon he carried with him. “I find it weird how you have a blaster cannon and yet you could be someone who could work as a detective.”

Just as the Cathar was to answer her question, the elevator came to a gentle stop just like before and watched as the doors opened to reveal a young woman who wore mostly white. She hid her facial features underneath her hood, but the group noticed right away that she also had silver eyes that could bear weight to anyone she looked at.

She also had a patch over her left temple.

“Going up?” Everett asked again as his finger hovered over the button that would take them to the next floor. “Yes, to the floor where the cafeteria is.” The girl answered when she found a spot in between Everett and Penni.

“Hey, that's where we're going too! Just to warn you, it gets crazy packed up there. I nearly got crushed on my way to work.” Penni warned the girl when the latter shrugged, “To be honest, I'm hoping for it. I'm looking for somebody that could help me.”

Char'lee snickered, “Aren't we all?”

Everett turned his attention to the girl, “Miss, are you looking for a specific person or just somebody?”

“Preferably anyone who can pilot a ship, I'm trying to get back home.” the girl explained more when Aeron's face lit up. 

He approached the girl and leaned against the wall beside her. “Well, ain't that a coincidence! Looks like you're in luck, little lady! I'm Aeron Windsinger, captain of the Lady Cosmos. She isn't just any ship, she's _the _ship that evaded Imperial capture, blockades, meteors, anything you can name. We can discuss payment over lunch. What do ya say, uh...?”

“The name's Erelah Lux.” the girl introduced herself. “And if anything, I'm not one to believe in coincidences. Luck? Maybe, but even that's a double-edged sword. I had a feeling we'd be here for a reason.”

As the two talked, Penni looked around to notice that the elevator was not taking them any higher, it was slowing down in fact. “Guys, I can't be the only one that's seeing this, but I think the elevator's-” The elevator came to an abrupt halt before Penni could finish her sentence, sending her and whoever didn't hold onto the side rails flying towards the floor.

“_Attention passengers! The maximum weight capacity has been encumbered! Please remain calm and wait for maintenance! Thank you!” _an automated voice suddenly spoke and replayed again in Huttese. 

“Calm? Why is it telling us to stay calm?” Everett asked as he tossed his arms in the air in a fit of frustration. Aeron stood up cautiously and held his grasp onto the railings for dear life, “Probably whoever the scum bucket that sold this trashcan knew that some poor soul would go nuts after realizing they're surrounded by crystal clear glass!”

Penni lifted her head to look at her friend, “'Wait for maintenance' my butt! Of all the Hutt's rotten ironic jokes! We gotta get off of this dump...”

Just then, she felt a hand tap her arm to get her attention and let out an audible gasp when she realized that Erelah was trapped underneath her as the latter cleared her throat to speak, “Yes, hello to you too! I can understand your concern, but could you start your mission of self-discovery by getting off of me first?”

Flustered, Penni moved over to let Erelah pull herself onto her feet, and to the Twi'lek's surprise, the latter held out a hand to her. 

When she looked up at her face, however, Penni felt as though she saw Erelah's hair and skin glow as if she were an angel that had descended from whatever Heaven she came from, minus the bandage on her left temple.

So Penni took her hand and when the Echani lifted her onto her feet, she was left in a state of awe when her body felt light as a feather and looked down at her boots to notice that her feet didn't touch the ground. Feeling amazed by her strength, Erelah placed the other girl gently onto her feet.

The two looked over to Char'lee who witnessed Erelah's display of strength in the same state of shock Penni previously showed and turned away when he noticed the girls staring back at him. Aeron and Everett, however, seemed to be too deep into their conversation to notice what went on.

“Thank you...I mean, I'm sorry. For falling on you. Ha! Elevators, right?” Penni struggled to form a sentence when Erelah looked around her surroundings. The Twi'lek lifted a finger to point at the Echani's bandages, “You look like you got messed up pretty badly. I've been meaning to ask about the patch on your head, but then Aeron started talking to you and-”

“I can't really say too much, but I got caught in some meteor shower, my ship is damaged beyond repair, and I have a bit of a migraine,” Erelah answered as she lifted a hand to scratch away an itch near her patch. Penni's head lit up as if she realized something, “Hey wait a minute! I think I saw your ship fly by me when I was working outside the station!”

The white-haired girl narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in unease, “You were outside the station? Like right outside in space or...?” 

“Yes, I was outside in space! I had to fix a few dents or else if I wasn't flying out the window, my paycheck will.”

“So you're probably a Mechanic?”

“That's right! Ironic how we gotta 'wait for maintenance' when I'm also stuck in here.”

“Then you probably know how to everyone out of here!”

“I...don't know about that. I know a way out, but it's very risky.”

“You'd surprised how easy my plan would be.”

“And you'd be surprised to know that I lived on this station nearly my whole life, and I think I know when something is risky.”

Erelah rolled her eyes, "Just hear me out and I promise by the end of this, we'll both be surprised."

Char'lee moved to where the men stood, and looked over to Erelah before turning back to them, “All of a sudden I feel claustrophobic.”

Aeron frowned, “Thanks, and I'm nervous knowing we're a few materials away from floating out in space, so I guess we both got problems.” Then the Chiss shook his head in denial, “I don't mean you, moron! And you call yourself a pilot...”

Everett then placed his hands on the boys' shoulders, “Alright you two, stop it! It's a waste of energy for you to argue and it's an even bigger waste of time for the rest of us to _ hear _ you argue! The less we hear of this noise, the less time we get to spend being stuck in here.”

“My thoughts exactly!” Erelah interrupted when the men turned their heads to her and Penni. Char'lee eyed the girl with suspicion, “You have a plan, stranger?”

Erelah began when she placed her arm over Penni's shoulders, “Who says we have to wait for maintenance when we have her right here?”

_ **To be continued...** _


End file.
